The Rain Fell
by SarahShalomDavid
Summary: The rain falls on a teary eyed girl whilst the team get a message from beyond


Sarah sat on the cold ground, as the rain fell from the sky much like the salty tears that spilled from her bright blue eyes. She lent to the side, leaning up against a carved stone. The grass beneath her was dry, even though it had been raining for nearly an hour. Her body moved only with the movement of her pained sobs.

She looked up to the dark clouds, and she let out a cry, "Why did you leave me?" she pleaded with a woman who was no longer there. She hoped and prayed though that her mother was still with her in some way. She hoped she was sat here with her. She wanted nothing more than to hug her mother.

She was eight years old and had been taken in by Kate just over two years ago, when Sarah interfered with a mission that she was in charge of. She had refused to allow them to put the homeless child into care, she had clearly been abandoned by whoever brought her to the states. It had taken three days to find out the little girl's name, and during that time Kate had called her "Nevaeh" because as Kate had once said; she fell from 'Heaven'. She had also given her a nickname over the past two years, she was Kate's "Little Butterfly".

She snuggled up to the carved gravestone wearing jeans and a long sleeved blue top which brought out the color in her eyes and it had gem stone butterflies all over both the top and the jeans. She had no shoes on, only a pair of blue socks with 'Princess' written on them in pink curly lettering, and a little golden crown above the writing.

_Kate sat by her daughter, wishing she could do more for the child, then she realized what she could do. She whispered to her darling butterfly that she would be back soon. Knowing the child couldn't hear her. Then she was gone._

The rain continued to fall down heavily, as Sarah curled up under the slight shelter of the tree above, she was wet and shivering from the cold. She had been with Kate's mother the day that Kate was killed but had soon run away to try and find her mother. She knew she was here but didn't truly understand what was going on, why a bad man took her mother away from her. She thought it was because she was misbehaved and wouldn't eat her vegetables for her mother the night before her mother was taken. She thought that it was her fault. She wished she could go back and eat all her vegetables for her mother.

Meanwhile; Jen was sat in her office at NCIS eating her dinner at her desk, she sighed seeing the heavy rain outside. It was a late night, they had just finished a case and the whole team were up there with her to celebrate the end of such a difficult case.

Jethro lent back on the sofa and took a sip of his beer, whilst Abby and Ziva gossiped at the table with Jenny, and Tony did the usual and sat winding up McGee. Ducky was sat next to Jethro on the sofa with a scotch in hand telling one of his many stories to Jethro.

Suddenly the lights went off.

Jen looked up, "Okay whose messing with my lights guys?" she said irritated

Everyone muttered that it wasn't them as Abby got up and turned it back on. Just as she sat down it went off again.

Jen sighed, "Again?"

Ziva looked confused, "I did not take my eyes off of that switch, nobody touched it Director"

Abby grinned, "We have a ghost" she said excitedly

Tony said amused, "Who the heck would haunt us ?" he asked laughing, "It's probably wires lose or something"

As he said that his beer was spilled into his lap even though it had been out of the way and nobody was touching it. He screeched and jumped up making everyone laugh hysterically.

Ducky smiled, "You upset our friend it seems, young Anthony"

Abby stood up and walked around the room a bit, after a few steps she stopped and whispered one word, "Kate"

Ziva looked confused, "The Agent?" she asked

Abby nodded, "I can smell her perfume" she said with a smile, "Awww Kate's visiting us"

Tony growled, "Yah could have left my beer alone Kate"

Next his food was tipped off the paper it had been wrapped in before.

Tony growled, "I'll get you for that"

Abby laughed, "Good luck with that one"

Jen looked around, "Maybe she wants something...?"

"Maybe Tony just pissed her off", said Jethro jokingly before receiving a head slap which made his head push forward in a way that everyone noticed.

Jen bit her lip, and put her computer onto a word document pulling out the keyboard and moving out the way a bit.

As Tony began to pick up his food the computer began to type of its own accord.

_Go to my grave, my daughters needs you Jen... please?_

Jen clicked to shut off the computer and began to slip her shoes back on and her coat, grabbing her umbrella she excused herself saying she would be back in a bit.

Jethro got up, "I'm coming with you" he declared

The red headed woman knew she couldn't cause a scene and nodded, "Fine" she said simply and rushed towards the elevator with her ex lover.

As they got inside the elevator Jethro turned to her, "So, what she type?" he asked her as they descended from the floor of her office.

Jen sighed as she walked out and towards his car, "She wants me to find her daughter, she said that she is at her graveside and she needs me" she said softly climbing into the passenger seat of the car as he climbed into the drivers side.

Jethro looked at her, "Kate never had a daughter"

Jen sighed, "Yes she did...she adopted her around two years ago. She is supposed to be with Kate's mother"

Gibbs nodded as he drove, "So, she reported as missing?"

Jen shook her head, "No, I guess they haven't noticed she's missing yet"

Leroy nodded again, "She got a name?"

Jenifer nodded with a smile, "Kate named her Nevaeh, always called her 'little butterfly'"

The silver haired man smiled, "How old is she?" he asked softly

Director Shepherd opened her door and undid her umbrella as he climbed out too, "She's eight years old" she said as they made their way under her umbrella in the rain towards Kate's graveside.

Nevaeh had fallen asleep curled up to the grave, she had a small cross hanging from her neck and a stuffed unicorn in her lap that was soaked and had been originally white with pink hair and a glittery horn but now was slightly dirty all over and was far from white.

Jen knelt down on the wet grass and gradually woke the sleeping child, watched on by Jethro and by Kate too.

The bright blue eyed child looked up at Jen, she looked scared and alone. She was soaked through and shivering from the utter coldness of the night. "Aunty Jenny?" she whispered scared in the dark.

Jen nodded with a smile, the little girl ha only met her once but had taken to her straight away, "Yes butterfly, come on, how about we take you home and get you dry? Does your grandma know your out here?"

Nevaeh shook her head, "She doesn't care Aunt Jenny"

Jen sighed, "I'm sure that isn't true"

The little girl looked up, "She wouldn't let me come and be with Mommy, and she told me she wished she never had to look after me again, so I ran away...See I brought Candyfloss with me too" she said showing her 'Aunt' the unicorn.

Jen took her by the hand, "Come on then, let's get you in the warm"

She shook her head, "No I live here with Mommy now" she said determined

Jen sighed, "Your Mommy sent us to come and get you darling, she just wants you to be safe and happy" she said softly

Nevaeh looked around, "Ohkay Aunt Jenny" she said getting up and walking with her to the car. Jen got her into the back of the car and Jethro tossed a blanket into the back before he began to drive along with a jumper of his. Jen smiled and helped the little one out of her wet clothes and into Jethro's NIS jumper and wrapped the warm blanket around the child, holding her close in her lap.

_Kate smiled, "You're safe now baby girl" she said knowing that her child was safe gave her the power to walk into the light. _

__Jethro drove back to Jen's and helped her in with the sleeping child, as Jen carried the girls soaked clothing and unicorn. She threw them straight into the washer/dryer while Jethro took Nevaeh up to Jen's bedroom. Jen wanted the little one in with her, so that she could comfort the child.

Jethro came back down as Jen finished putting on the washing and wrapped his arms around her from behind, "What are you going to do with her Jen?" he asked softly

She smiled, "Kate sent me to her for a reason, I'm going to look after her Jethro" she said softly

Jethro nodded, holding her close, "Why didn't you tell me about her Jen?" he asked in a whisper while her head rested backwards onto his shoulder

The red headed beauty sighed, "She was found during a mission Kate was sent on, she wasn't meant to keep her" she revealed to her ex-lover

He nodded, "What mission Jen?" he asked curiously

She bit her lip, "Mossad" she said simply, "That's why she wasn't meant to keep her, she was meant to send her back, if she had sent the child back then Ari would not have come after her"

Jethro sighed, "Why didn't she send the girl back?" he asked her

Jen bit her lip, "Because the little girl refused to speak for three whole days, and she would only go to Kate, she screamed so loudly if anyone else touched her. Kate loved her from the moment she met her. I didn't know Kate had her until Mossad demanded the return of the child. Six months after she had been found. Kate had hidden her. I met her and she was so happy with Kate that we covered it up and ensured she was hidden"

Gibbs smiled, "I doubt Kate would have let you return her if you tried" he said kissing her cheek

She turned to look at him, "Stay the night Jethro?" she asked softly

Gibbs turned her and kissed her gently, nodding into the kiss. An hour later they lay on the sofa covered in a blanket after making love. Her head on his chest as he held her close in a protective motion.

The couple had been gone for nearly two hours and so the team were worried. Jethro's phone went off and it was Ziva.

_"Gibbs. Where are you?" she asked, "We are worried about you and the director. It seems that the ghostly activities have finished now"_

Jen smiled, "Ziva, it's me...everything is fine, we are at mine, we had to run an errand, could you meet me at mine in about ten minutes?" she asked gently as Jethro got up and got dressed, tossing Jen's clothing to her.

_Ziva smiled, "Of course Director" she said with a gentle nod, before hanging up the phone. Abby looked up, "What did he say?". Ziva smiled "SHE said for me to meet her, and that everything is fine"_

Jethro smiled happily as Jenny went up and checked on Nevaeh, who was wide awake and whispering to the sky from the windowsill.

Jenny wrapped her arms around the child in a protective hug, "Are you okay Nevaeh?" she asked softly, wrapping a blanket around the little one.

Nevaeh nodded, and snuggled in as Jen carried her downstairs and balancing her on her hip she grabbed the unicorn out of the dryer and gave it to the young girl who grinned happily seeing it and snuggled into Jen.

Jen settled down on the sofa with the child in her arms and lent into Jethro's embrace.

With the sound of the door knocking, and the little girl fast asleep in his lover's arms. He got up to answer the door and to let Ziva inside.

Ziva looked at the little girl, recognizing the curls, she smiled, the girl had not changed much since she last saw her.

Jen looked up, "You recognize her don't you Zee?" she asked cautiously

The Israeli woman nodded, "Yes, Director" she said formally and knelt before the director and the child.

The red headed woman smiled, "Less of the director talk, its just us" she said softly

Ziva smiled, "Where did you find her?" she asked softly

Jethro shook his head, "Who is she ?" he asked her

Ziva looked at the child, "She is my child, my father took her from me to train her... I tried to stop him but.. I had no chance" she said sadly

Her boss nodded, "She has been raised by Kate for the past two years, after Kate refused to return her to Mossad" he said simply.

Ziva nodded, "She may have saved her life" she said simply as she sat beside Jen and stroked the girls cheek

It wasn't long before the little girl woke up, they had been worried that she wouldn't know who Ziva was, as she had been taken by Eli three years ago.

That night Jethro and Jenifer were sat on the sofa, in front of the fire with Ziva beside them with her sleeping daughter in her arms. She definitely remembered her mother, but she would never forget her Mommy Katie.


End file.
